


Proving Howie's Worth

by shnixangel



Series: Appreciating Howie [1]
Category: Backstreet Boys
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-18 04:08:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14845433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shnixangel/pseuds/shnixangel
Summary: Howie glared at Nick.  “Please Nick,” he said through gritted teeth, “will you please leave it alone.”“No!  Why do you suddenly have a problem with me?!” Nick snapped.“I don’t have a problem with you!” Howie yelled back.“Fucking seems like you do.” Nick retorted hotly.Howie glared at him and then threw his phone at him.  “I’m fed up of being fucking unpopular.”Nick frowned, just catching Howie’s phone before it smacked him in the face.  “Unpopular?  D, what the fuck are you talking about?”“There was a post, on Instagram, of just the 4 of you and it took, like 18 comments, before someone asked where the fuck I was.”





	Proving Howie's Worth

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this kind of came out of nowhere! I was on Instagram at lunchtime and noticed Howie doesn't have as many tags as the rest (which he absolutely should, he's gorgeous for goodness sake!) and I came home and wrote this in a couple of hours!

Nick glanced over at Howie, who had thrown his phone down, causing it to slide over the table and fall off the other side.

“You ok dude?” Nick asked.

Howie looked over at Nick in with a start, as if he’d forgotten Nick was even there. “Surprised anyone bloody notices.” He snapped and Nick’s eyes widened.

“Hey! Dude, what the fuck is wrong?” Nick asked, putting his phone down.  
Howie sighed. “Nothing man, don’t worry.” He said, getting up to retrieve his phone.

Nick followed after him as he grabbed his phone and started to leave the room.

“Hey, D. Talk to me, yeah?” Nick asked, his hand on Howie’s shoulder.  
“There’s no point, it’s not going to change anything.” Howie told him.  
“What needs changing?” Nick asked, confused.

Howie just stared up at Nick for a few moments. “You, of all of us, would understand the least.” He said, shrugging off Nick’s hand and disappearing into the corridor.

Nick was still stood by the door a minute or so later when AJ walked in.  
“What the fuck is wrong with you, stood there like a lemon?!”  
“Howie.”

AJ frowned as Nick turned around and went to sit back down. “What do you mean?” AJ asked.

Nick told him what had just happened and AJ shrugged. “He’s just in a mood, you know how these Puerto Ricans get - just let him get over it.” He suggested. “Be grateful he didn’t yell at you in Spanish - you know it’s serious if he yells in a language he knows none of us can fucking understand!” He chuckled.  
“He told me though that I’d understand the least.” Nick repeated.  
“Well, he obviously said it for a reason. Just leave it Carter, if he wants to talk to you about it, he will, you know that.”

*** 

Nick watched Howie on stage later that evening. If he didn’t know him so well, he’d have assumed that nothing was wrong, but he’d known him for 25 years and he knew better.

When they got into the cars after the show, Nick very deliberately shut the door behind him and Howie, hoping the others got the message to get in the other car.

“Ok, dude, spill it.” He told Howie.  
“Nick, please just leave it.” Howie asked, resting his head back on the seat and closing his eyes.

*** 

“Why don’t you think I’d understand?” Nick asked as they got back to Howie’s a little while later. The other three were still in the car behind them.  
“Because you’re Mr fucking Popular.” Howie snapped, yanking the door open as it pulled up in his driveway and he jumped out.  
“Hey!” Nick called, cursing as he couldn’t get his seatbelt unbuckled as Howie disappeared into the house. 

“What’s wrong with him?” AJ asked, getting out as their car stopped. They were all staying at Howie’s that night before they flew off to Nashville the next morning.

“Fucked if I know, but I’m gonna find out.” Nick told him, following Howie inside.

*** 

“Right, I don’t know what the fuck I’ve done to offend you man, but you can’t be shitty with me and then not tell me what I’ve done wrong!” Nick yelled at Howie.

Howie glared at Nick. “Please Nick,” he said through gritted teeth, “will you please leave it alone.”  
“No! Why do you suddenly have a problem with me?!” Nick snapped.  
“I don’t have a problem with you!” Howie yelled back.  
“Fucking seems like you do.” Nick retorted hotly.

Howie glared at him and then threw his phone at him. “I’m fed up of being fucking unpopular.”

Nick frowned, just catching Howie’s phone before it smacked him in the face. “Unpopular? D, what the fuck are you talking about?”  
“There was a post, on Instagram, of just the 4 of you and it took, like 18 comments, before someone asked where the fuck I was.”

“So? Doesn’t mean shit.” Nick told him, unlocking Howie’s phone, briefly wondering whether it was normal for them to all know each other’s pass codes and he looked at the photo Howie was talking about.  
“See? You don’t get it.” Howie sighed, deflating as he sat down on the sofa behind him.  
“I know I’m as thick as shit sometimes, but I don’t understand, I’m sorry.” Nick apologised, sitting down beside him.

Howie shook his head. “Of course you wouldn’t Nick, you’re the most popular, Mr charm and personality, reformed addict.” Howie said, his voice a little bitter.

Nick raised his eyebrows. “Wow. You’re really pissed.”  
“You have no idea how it feels to be the least popular, like if I decided to leave, nobody would fucking notice, let alone care. Fans were heartbroken when Kevin left and ecstatic when he came back. Would they feel the same if I left? Nobody would give a damn if I came back, that’s for sure.” He said icily.

“Ok, firstly, you’re wrong. A lot of people would care - we would care for starters. Secondly, ok, so I might be popular, but believe me, I’ve had enough shit talked about me to last a fucking lifetime. There are certain things that come with being an addict, and I know not everyone believes that I’m clean, that I’m a decent human being. You might be ignored by idiots sometimes, but people aren’t cruel about you in the same way they are about me.”

Howie looked at Nick in disbelief. “Are you seriously trying to turn this around to you?!”  
Nick held his hands up in surrender. “No! I’m trying to explain that we all have our insecurities!”

*** 

Brian winced as he heard Nick and Howie yelling at each other from the den. “Wow, they’re really yelling at each other. Don’t think I’ve heard them like this before.” He commented, grabbing some water and throwing a bottle each to AJ and Kevin.

“Anyone know what they’re fighting about?” Kevin asked.  
“D had a pop at Nick earlier, but I didn’t think it was anything serious.” AJ commented.

*** 

“You are unbelievable! Know how many tagged posts you’ve got on Instagram?” Howie yelled, having got off the sofa and was now pacing around the room.  
“No, I don’t fucking care!”  
“Over 200,000. Know how many I’ve got?” Howie snapped.  
“I don’t care about that either! Dude, why are you so down on yourself?!” Nick asked, trying to stop himself from yelling.

“I’m sick of being alone.” Howie said, deflating. “You guys get so much attention…”  
“In case it has escaped your attention, I’m very much single, it’s not like I’m getting laid on a daily basis!” Nick retaliated.  
“How many people did you sleep with on the cruise?” Howie shot back at him and Nick blushed a little.  
“I...that’s fucking irrelevant! Anyway, you could have done if you’d wanted it!” Nick shot back.  
“I don’t want a woman, I want you!” Howie hurled at Nick. “I mean, I don’t want just any…” He trailed off.

Nick’s jaw dropped open. “What?”  
“Nothing.” Howie said quickly, colour on his cheeks, even under his tan.

Nick grabbed Howie’s hand. He yanked open the door to the den, marching them through the house, past the other three who were looking on with morbid fascination. 

“Nick…” Howie began as Nick pushed him into his own bedroom and slammed the door closed.  
“I’m gonna show you just how special you are.” Nick growled, shrugging his jacket off and stalking to where Howie was stood, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

*** 

AJ burst out laughing as the door was slammed. “Wow, did not see that coming!”  
Brian just looked between AJ and the stairs. “Are they…” He trailed off.  
“I’d assume so!” Kevin laughed. “Can’t believe Nick paraded him through here!”  
“It’s about bloody time.” Brian grinned.

*** 

Nick pushed Howie down onto the bed. “You reckon nobody’d miss you?” He said, his voice hoarse with tension. “I’d fucking miss you. Every fucking day. I have spent 25 years with you and I couldn’t live without you.” 

Howie looked up at him in disbelief. “Nick...you’re just…” He trailed off, gasping as Nick ground his hips down onto Howie’s.  
“No, no D, I’m not. I am really not doing this to make you feel better. I’ve wanted you for so long.” Nick sighed, the palm of his hand on Howie’s cheek.  
“You have?” Howie croaked.  
“How the fuck have you not seen it?” Nick asked before he surged forward, kissing Howie.

Howie groaned into Nick’s mouth as he brought his arms up to wrap them around Nick’s neck.

As they kissed fervently, both men struggled out of their clothes, not wanting to break the kiss.  
“Please tell me that you have lube and condoms.” Nick gasped as he rolled his hips against Howie’s.  
“I don’t know that I do...I kind of wasn’t expecting this!” Howie let out a shallow laugh.

Nick scooted backwards off the bed, grabbing his jeans and pulling out his wallet. “Please, please…” He muttered to himself, whooping when he found what he was looking for.

He went back over to the bed, crawling over Howie who was just watching him with wonder in his eyes.

“You are so beautiful, I can’t believe you think nobody would want you.” Nick said softly, tearing open the lube packet and letting it drip over his fingers. He leant forward to kiss Howie again as he wrapped his hand around Howie’s cock, causing the other man to gasp into the kiss. “I want you so bad.” Nick said, his hand shaking as he moved it down to Howie’s entrance.

“Fuck…” Howie gasped as Nick slid his index finger inside.  
“I’ve dreamed about doing this for so long.” Nick muttered. “You know I fancied you from more or less day one?” He grinned.

Howie raised an eyebrow, before letting out a small moan. “No...tell me…” He gasped.  
“I’d never really thought about girls or boys as anything other than just friends, and then I met you and I had all these feelings, I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” Nick smiled, pushing a second finger in. “I’d wank over photos of you in magazines.” He admitted.  
“Nick…!” Howie gasped as Nick hit his prostate.  
“And I knew you were bi, you were always honest about that, about fancying men, but I never saw you with one and I figured that maybe you’d changed your mind.” Nick carried on, scissoring his fingers. 

“I didn’t, didn’t…” Howie moaned in a low voice.  
“So I kind of put my crush to bed, slept around a bit.”

Howie smirked and raised an eyebrow at Nick. Nick laughed. “Ok, a fair bit. Alright, a lot! But you, I always wanted it to be you.”

Nick leant down to Howie’s neck, sucking a bruise onto the soft skin, pushing a third finger into Howie.

“Fuck, Nick, please, please…” Howie pleaded a minute later. His body was covered with a light sheen of sweat from how turned on he was, his cock weeping against his stomach.

Howie let out a loud groan as Nick bottomed out inside him, his legs over Nick’s shoulders, Nick on his knees as they both stilled, watching each other for a few moments.

“You feel amazing.” Nick panted, desperate to move but needing to make sure that Howie was ok.  
“I’m...fuck man, would you move already!” Howie laughed lightly.  
“Oh, thank god!” Nick gasped, pulling out slowly and then slamming back into Howie.

*** 

“Jesus, do they need to be so loud?” Brian complained a little while later.  
“I’m fairly sure that’s just Nick - maybe Howie’s not even in there!” AJ laughed.

***  
“Believe me now?” Nick asked, fucking in and out of Howie at a punishing pace.  
“Uh huh.” Howie managed to reply, his hand wrapped around his own cock, jerking himself off in time to Nick’s thrusts.  
“Never, ever feel unloved or unwanted.” Nick gasped. “I’ll do this each and every time you feel like that.” 

Howie laughed. “Can I have that in writing after please!” He asked, surging up to kiss Nick.

Nick wrapped his hand around Howie’s and he felt Howie tense underneath him and then Howie called out Nick’s name, ropes of come shooting from his cock, over his hand and over Nick’s hand and Nick watched in awe before his orgasm slammed into him and he stuttered inside of Howie’s body, grunting as he came.

The two men collapsed onto the bed, gasping for breath.

“So, believe me?” Nick asked, wincing as he pulled out of Howie, removing the condom and tying it up, dropping it onto the floor by the bed.  
“As long as that wasn’t a pity fuck!” Howie laughed. “Yes! Yes, I believe you!” He grinned as Nick glared at him.  
“You know I’d never do that, right? A pity fuck?” Nick asked. “I didn’t lie about anything.”  
Howie smiled at him as he wiped his hand and chest with the edge of the sheet. “I had no idea.”  
“You weren’t meant to. Christ, I paraded you straight through the house in front of the others!” Nick moaned, hiding his face in his hands.  
“Yeah, they aren’t gonna let you live that down for a while!” Howie laughed.  
“Let’s deal with them in the morning, yeah?” Nick yawned.  
“Yeah.” Howie agreed.

*** 

“It’s gone very quiet. Reckon they’ve finished?” Kevin asked.  
“I reckon we should probably find our own ways to the bedrooms!” Brian laughed. “Honestly, he’s gonna get a bad Trip Advisor review for poor service!”  
“I think Nick will give him 5 stars if the amount of noise he was making is anything to go by!” AJ laughed.


End file.
